Great result for Putney! But you'll forgive us being a bit sceptical....

Council wins all-day flights reprieve for Putney - but runway three goes ahead

Councils opposed to Heathrow expansion say the Government's decision to approve a third runway will bring extra noise, air pollution and traffic mayhem to areas around the airport.

People living further afield will also feel the impact as flight path changes bring aircraft noise to previously unaffected parts of London and the Home Counties.

A fully operational third runway would increase annual flight numbers at the airport from 480,000 to 702,000.This is equivalent to building a new airport the size of Gatwick in the most densely populated part of the country.

Transport secretary Geoff Hoon said today that the full additional capacity would depend on the emergence of newer less-polluting aircraft. Until then additional capacity would be capped at 125,000 flights.

The 2M Group's campaign opposing interim expansion on the two existing runways resulted in an assurance that this operational change would not go ahead. This would have led to all-day flights over many areas.

The Government also announced that expansion would be subject to noise and air quality limits not being breached and indicated that a high speed rail hub could be sited at the airport.

Wandsworth Council leader Edward Lister, speaking on behalf of 2M, said:

"It is difficult to know just what weight we can attach to today's promises when so many similar assurances in the past have proved worthless.  For now we seem to have won the battle on mixed mode although none of us believe for one minute that this will be the last of it.

"Promises that environmental impacts will be regulated will be taken with a pinch of a salt by many people around the airport. Air pollution levels here already exceed EU limits yet the Government does nothing. The reality is that once a third runway is in place, it will be used to the full.

"We have no confidence in the assessment of environmental impacts carried out by the Government. Too much of this has been led by the airport owners and too much is based on imaginary aircraft.  Too many promises have been broken already. Those responsible for the decision won't be around when the runway is built and we learn that the so-called 'less polluting' planes haven't materialised.

"The decision is a huge setback for the drive to tackle climate change. Ministers will find it very difficult now to have their messages on curbing emissions taken seriously.  The so-called Heathrow Hub is a red herring. Why would you spend £4.4bn on a 15-mile tunnel from Heathrow to St Pancras when the whole country is crying out for fast rail links?

"The first Midlands stretch of the 2M plan for a high speed line to the North would provide 100 times better value for money than a tunnel whose main purpose would be to bring in more air travellers to Heathrow from northern Europe.

"A comprehensive UK high speed rail network combined with efficient local rail connections to Heathrow would bring economic benefits to Scotland and the North - and to the airport as local connections were improved

"We will continue to expose the flaws in the Government's case for expansion and will shortly be publishing further proposals for improved rail links around Heathrow. The Government is wrong to pretend there are no alternatives to a policy of unchecked growth at Heathrow."

The 2M Group is an all-party alliance of local authorities concerned at the environmental impact of Heathrow expansion on their communities. The group, which took its name from the two  million residents of the original 12 members, now represents 22 authorities with a combined population of around 5 million people and is supported by the Mayor of London.

January 16, 2009